International Organizations and Alliances

William Schabas has recused himself from his post as head of the UN Human Rights Council’s investigation into the Israeli operation in Gaza in 2014. In an article for Newsweek, Elliott Abrams explains why this happened too late to prevent a miscarriage of justice.

Valerie Amos, undersecretary-general and emergency relief coordinator at the United Nations, joins George Rupp, senior fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs and professor of health, religion, and international affairs at Columbia University, to discuss the realities and challenges of humanitarian work around the world today.

Valerie Amos, undersecretary-general and emergency relief coordinator at the United Nations, joins George Rupp, senior fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs and professor of health, religion, and international affairs at Columbia University, to discuss the realities and challenges of humanitarian work around the world today.

The Sorensen Distinguished Lecture on the United Nations was established in 1996 by Gillian and Theodore C. Sorensen to highlight the United Nations and offer a special occasion for its most distinguished and experienced leaders to speak to the Council on Foreign Relations membership.

Valerie Amos, undersecretary-general and emergency relief coordinator at the United Nations, joins George Rupp, senior fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs and professor of health, religion, and international affairs at Columbia University, to discuss the realities and challenges of humanitarian work around the world today.

The Sorensen Distinguished Lecture on the United Nations was established in 1996 by Gillian and Theodore C. Sorensen to highlight the United Nations and offer a special occasion for its most distinguished and experienced leaders to speak to the Council on Foreign Relations membership.

Conceived at the 1944 Bretton Woods conference to help rebuild postwar Europe, the World Bank has expanded over the ensuing 70 years into a global organization dedicated to promoting economic growth and reducing poverty -- goals it aims to meet by giving the billions of dollars in gets in contributions from developed countries to developing ones in the form of loans and grants.

According to the prevailing wisdom in the West, the Ukraine crisis can be blamed almost entirely on Russian aggression. Russian President Vladimir Putin, the argument goes, annexed Crimea out of a long-standing desire to resuscitate the Soviet empire, and he may eventually go after the rest of Ukraine, as well as other countries in eastern Europe.

Twenty-five years ago this November, an East German Politburo member bungled the announcement of what were meant to be limited changes to travel regulations, thereby inspiring crowds to storm the border dividing East and West Berlin.

G20 leaders met in Queensland November 15 and 16, 2014. Leaders agreed to aim for a two percent increase in the G20 GDP, to fund an infrastructure knowledge sharing network, to address climate change with energy efficiency goals, and to combat tax evasion and corruption.

The Berlin Wall's collapse a quarter of a century ago sparked the transformation of institutions, governments, and economies across Europe. This feature looks back at some of the most significant consequences and developments.

Samir Saran explains India's position in advance of the 2014 ITU conference, arguing that India believes that the ITU has a role to play in Internet governance, although Delhi does not oppose a multistakeholder approach.

Christian Schaller and Johannes Thimm analyze Germany's policy priorities at the ITU conference in Busan, South Korea, arguing that Germany will go to Busan opposed to the expansion of the ITU mandate, but in search of ways to increase the ITU's technical capabilities to broaden access.

Adam Segal explains the U.S. approach at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan, South Korea, where the United States is looking to defend its approach to Internet governance. Washington and its allies favor the "multistakeholder" model: a bottom-up policy process that includes organizations representing technical experts, governments, businesses, civil society, and individual users.

The sixth summit of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries met in Fortaleza, Brazil, on July 15, 2014. The theme of discussions was "Inclusive Growth: Sustainable Solutions" and the declaration detailed progress in establishing the BRICS's New Development Bank, which was first discussed in the 2013 Durban Joint Statement.

CFR Experts Guide

The Council on Foreign Relations' David Rockefeller Studies Program—CFR's "think tank"—is home to more than seventy full-time, adjunct, and visiting scholars and practitioners (called "fellows"). Their expertise covers the world's major regions as well as the critical issues shaping today's global agenda. Download the printable CFR Experts Guide.

New Council Special Reports

Campbell evaluates the implications of the Boko Haram insurgency and recommends that the United States support Nigerian efforts to address the drivers of Boko Haram, such as poverty and corruption, and to foster stronger ties with Nigerian civil society.

Koblentz argues that the United States should work with other nuclear-armed states to manage threats to nuclear stability in the near term and establish processes for multilateral arms control efforts over the longer term.

The authors argue that it is essential to begin working now to expand and establish rules and norms governing armed drones, thereby creating standards of behavior that other countries will be more likely to follow.

2014 Annual Report

Learn more about CFR’s mission and its work over the past year in the 2014 Annual Report. The Annual Report spotlights new initiatives, high-profile events, and authoritative scholarship from CFR experts, and includes a message from CFR President Richard N. Haass.Read and download »